PowerBook 540c: a Best
Buy- January 2000
The "Blackbird" series was Apple's first departure from
the fairly angular PowerBook 100 series. The PowerBook
520, 520c,
540, 540c,
and 550c all used the same
case, varying only in screen and CPU. The 520s were built
around a 25 MHz 68LC040 processor, while the rest of the
line ran at 33 MHz -- and the 550c used a full 68040
processor. The "c" models had 8-bit color screens (with a 16-bit
option in 640x400 mode); the non-c machines had either a
4-bit (520) or 6-bit (540) grayscale screen. All screens
were 640x480, a step up from the 640x400 used on earlier
PowerBooks. Innovative features of the PowerBook 500 series included
function keys, the trackpad, an ethernet connection, two
battery bays (for up to four hours of power), automatic
sleep when the lid was closed, stereo speakers, and an
internal microphone. Each machine had 4 MB of memory on the system board.
Memory modules as large as 32 MB could be added, bringing
the total to 36 MB. Finally, the entire Blackbird series was designed to
accept a PowerPC upgrade. So why does the 540c get the nod as a best buy? First,
because both it and the 550c used the superior active-matrix
color display. Second, because the 550c was only available
in limited markets, so it is relatively rare. And third,
because you can often find a refurbished 540c with 20 MB of
memory for about US$600 -- or a used 12 MB one for around
US$350. Then why not the PowerBook
190, which offered the same speed in a newer package?
Because the PB 190 didn't include a modem or ethernet port
-- you had to buy a PC Card to add either or both of these
features that came standard on the Blackbirds. Further,
there were problems with the PowerBook 190. It's not a bad
machine, but the ability to install a clean system without
worrying about finding drivers for third-party modem and
network cards make the 500 series more desirable. If you are in the market for a solid PowerBook, don't
need a PowerPC processor, and won't need more than 36 MB of
memory, the 500 series deserves a serious look, especially
the 540c with its active matrix screen. With the 32 MB memory card selling for US$99-119 these
days (see RAMseeker
for current pricing), it's a recommended upgrade unless you
have the 20 MB configuration. And even then you may want to
consider it. And if you want a bit more power at the cost of some
battery life, replacing the 33 MHz 68LC040 processor with a
full-featured 68040 is supposed to be quite easy. If you need more speed, a bigger screen, or an internal
CD-ROM, consider the PowerBook
1400. - <back to Best
Buys index or 540c
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